Insulating and sealing your home is perhaps the most cost effective step towards energy and money savings. A home owner can save around 10% on their annual energy bill and the best part is, there’s no need to hire a contractor because insulating and sealing your home is easy to do.

To ensure the biggest savings make sure your attic is well insulated as insulation helps prevent heat loss in the winter and heat gain in the summer. The topic of insulation itself is difficult to cover thoroughly since different insulation has different R-values. The R-value is the measure of the insulation’s ability to resist heat flow. The higher the R-value, the higher the insulating characteristics of the material being used. In new homes the recommended R-value for attics is R-44 – R-50, R-38 is acceptable in most areas but if you live in an extremely cold climate R-49 is recommended. A good rule of thumb is to measure how deep the insulation is in your attic and if it’s not between 12-15 inches, then you will want to add more.

A staggering 10 – 25% of your heat and a/c is lost through your windows and doors. Cracks around your windows and doors are usually easy to find because you can feel a draft coming through or actually see the cracks. You should caulk all cracks around your windows and weather strip all the way around your exterior doors to eliminate these loses and make your home more efficient. While you’re at it, look in your attic, basement, and crawlspace for holes around flues and vents. These holes are a little harder to find but also contribute to heat loss and gain depending on the time of year. You will want to use either caulk or spray foam to eliminate these losses.

Additional Ways to Save

• Consider replacing single-pane windows with Energy Star qualified double-pane low-emissive windows to help cut down on heat transfer and ultraviolet light.
• Open drapes on your south-facing windows during the winter to let in natural light and heat. At night close all drapes and blinds in effort to reduce heat loss through your windows. Adversely, close all drapes on the south facing windows during hot summer days to prevent the sun from heating up your home.

Author: Bradley C. Williams

Bradley C. Williams is a successful internet marketer with a focus on cutting energy consumption and waste while bringing alternative energy sources to the forefront. He would like to invite you to http://www.everyalternative.com/ to learn more about renewable energy sources. Please also visit http://www.profitlancecompanion.com/ to see how he got started in internet marketing.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Bradley_C._Williams

About Us |

This entry was posted on Thursday, August 14th, 2008 at 2:30 pm and is filed under Kingspan Kooltherm. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a respo…   Read more…

Gyproc Insulation Board, Phenolic Circuit Board, Delta Board …

Phenolic Insulation Board rigid, Phenolic Insulation panels, Phenolic Board manufacturers, Phenolic Insulation Board kingspan kooltherm, delta Board Insulation, perforated Phenolic Board, Pheno…   Read more…

Kingspan Kooltherm For Affordable Home Ownership Development

Kingspan Kooltherm For Affordable Home Ownership Development.   Read more…

Technorati Tags: xtratherm

Outdoor steel buildings are a great choice when you want to protect items from outdoor elements such as fire, flood, rain, and snow. When planning to add a steel building, you have to consider what materials you will use. One important building material for a steel building is insulation. It will help reduce heating costs and prevent moisture build up. The key to ensuring proper climate control is to make sure that you properly install the insulation.

The following steps outline what is involved with properly installing insulation in a metal building:

1. The first thing to do is apply double-sided tape to the frame of the building. Make sure that you place the tape where the insulation will be secured.

2. Unroll a layer of the insulation and fit it over the frame.

3. Roll out the insulation over the frame. As you unroll, lay the insulation between the frame and the sheeting.

4. Metal buildings allow more heat to flow through than wood frame buildings. Using larger steel studs and joists will help add more insulation because the space between the steel bars tends to be wider. By using wider pieces of insulation, it will effectively block the flow of air

5. Apply the sheeting over the insulation. Insert metal strapping to hold everything in place on the walls. It is important to refer to the manufacturer’s manual for your specific insulation materials. If you need thicker layers of insulation to improve the warmth in the space, polyurethane foam can be used. It can be sprayed into the insulation space and then it expands to match the measurements. This allows the walls to be filled with polyurethane foam insulation without having to add thicker layers of insulation to the walls.

6. Check the insulation to make sure that some of it is hanging down.

7. Attach sheeting and tape up the seams. Place metal tape over the seams.

In cold climates, these steel framing pieces will act as a heat channel. Heat will be conducted right through the steel studs to the outside. Therefore, for metal frame walls, you will need to place the insulation sheet over the outside of the wall frame between the metal framing pieces and the outer siding. Taping all seams and taping the floor and ceiling will provide a good moisture barrier.

Don’t spoil your investment by permitting air and moisture to enter the building. When constructing a well-insulated building, you want to make sure that that the structure isn’t allowing unnecessary drafts inside the building. You can check for this problem when the frame work is complete and the paneling has been attached. You just have to feel for drafts. If you sense any air, you should fix the problem before adding anymore insulation. With a little thought and planning, installing insulation in a metal building to keep warm air in and cool air out can make all the difference in the building’s structural integrity.

Author: Amy Nutt

Provides assemble yourself outdoor steel buildings, using the strongest architectural design know to man..the arch. The arch steel building provides 100% usable interior space and easy to move. View our wide selection of steel buildings, steel carports, storage sheds and more.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Amy_Nutt

About www.buildingmaterials.co.uk

KINGSPAN KOOLTHERM KINGSPAN TP10 METAL CEILINGS METAL STUD OSB BOARD PARTITION SYSTEMS PERSONAL PROTECTION PLASTERBOARD PLASTERBOARD SYSTEMS PLASTERS PLASTIC ACCESS PANELS POLYSTYRENE RAISED FL…   Read more…

Facts – Insulation Tested by Which

Kingspan Kooltherm K7. This Best Buy is made from Styrofoam board between silver backing and is a good insulator. It’s similar to Xtratherm Extra Performance Polyiscoyanurate insulation, anot…   Read more…

ceiling and exterior insulation of 1930’s detached house

kingspan kooltherm range in particular k5 (external) and k7 & k17 for internal sealing use. http://www.insulation.kingspan.com/uk/kooltherm.htm 5. proctor group out of perthshire they supply sp…   Read more…

Technorati Tags: rigid

Howdy! If you’re looking for a new garage door, you’re looking at the wrong article.

My purpose with this article is to help people who are either moving into a new home or are looking to upgrade their existing home, with regards to comfort and energy efficiency. If you’ve got a home with an attached garage or lived in one in the past, you know how important it is to treat your garage as if it was simply any other room in your house. I mean really, if you’re going to use it for anything other than parking cars or storage, you need to have it heated and comfortable.

One of the ways to ensure that is to make sure you’re not losing costly electricity and money through that uninsulated garage door. The good news is that it costs a lot less and is a lot easier than you think to insulate an existing garage door as compared to going out and getting a new one.

Step one is to decide whether you want to buy a preconfigured kit from a kit manufacturer, and insulation company, or maybe even the people that made your own garage door. If you’d like to go this direction it will save you a lot of time and trouble, although it will cost you a little bit more. The first place to start looking is on the website of the company that manufactured your garage door. If they themselves make a garage door insulation upgrade kit, or work with the company that makes one for them, the information will be right there.

If your garage door manufacturer doesn’t offer a kit or partner with someone who does, there’s nothing wrong with buying an aftermarket kit yourself. A quick search on Google will turn up a long list of companies that will be more than happy to put one of these together for you. Be sure to check their websites for quality and trust factors such as the Better Business Bureau insignia, trust rank, and VeriSign insignias. These are an indication that you’re dealing with a quality company who has a reputation to protect. Also, make sure that their contact information is easy to find and includes a toll-free phone number. You may also want to check and see what kind of warranty, if any, is offered on the kit., and if there is a help line. Even the simplest projects can go awry, and there are always unforeseen events in any job.

If you’ve elected to go the route of buying your own materials, you’ll find that that’s not too difficult either. Just remember to follow the old carpenter’s adage: measure twice cut once. By buying your own materials you also have a lot more flexibility. You can choose the R. value, color and material type that you would most like to have.

But be sure not to forget the details when you take on this part of the project yourself. It’s not just about those foam panels to insulate your garage door — it’s also about the weather stripping on the sides of the doors and the compression bubble on the bottom. Be sure to check these and make sure they’re in good shape. If they are no need to spend the money. But if not, be sure to replace them in addition to installing your insulation or you will not see the savings in your energy bill you expected.

One final note — if after reading this, other articles on the Internet, and talking to the clerk at your local home supply store, you’re still a bit uncertain about moving ahead, I recommend that you pay a quick visit to YouTube. Simply do a search on "insulate garage door" and you will see a number of videos. Some have been placed there by individuals who simply want to help, and others are blatant promotional videos for insulation manufacturers. Either way it’s free information, and if a picture is worth 1000 words of video is worth 1 million.

Author: Virgil Hill

Virgil Hill is a home repair technician and sometime writer living in Montana. He writes on garage door insulation and related home renovation topics for a number of web sites, including DIYgaragedoorinsulation.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Virgil_Hill

retro fit Phenolic foam insulation inside existing ceiling question

we have decided that it is much easier to add 80mm of best performance lamda 0.022 Phonelic board (kingspan kooltherm K7) inside existing, and add ventilation to roof space to minimise interste…   Read more…

17 St Augustine’s Road

At roof level, 75mm of Kingspan Kooltherm insulation was placed between the rafters, followed by a breathable membrane, another 75mm of insulation and a second membrane. Here, the detailed work…   Read more…

Finishing the Insulation

For this I used Kingspan Kooltherm Dry Lining board K17. This has 60mm of insulation with 12.5mm plaster board bonded to it. Heavy and awkward to get up there and cut being 8 x 4 sheets but it …   Read more…

Technorati Tags: kooltherm

System 1: Cavity Wall Insulation
Cavity walls became popular in Ireland in the 80s. Quite simply they are two walls built side by side with a gap of about 60mm between them. The cavity between the two walls in older houses can be filled will insulation and new homes nowadays are built with excellent approved insulation material in the cavity. If you have a cavity wall, it is fast and easy to pump in insulation. Of the three systems mentioned here this is by far the cheapest. If you don’t have a cavity then this system will not work.

Also please don’t confuse cavity blocks with a cavity wall. With a cavity block 80% of the heat loss pass through the block and only 20% crosses the air gap. So even if you could find and fill all cavities you would only fix 20% of the problem.

System 2 Internal Insulation:
Internal insulation is where you attach insulation to the inside of a wall. So where the wallpaper is currently you stick about 100 mm of insulation material on to the wall and finish it with plaster board, then you can redecorate. This solution is cheaper than external insulation and if you are redecorating it can be included in the project with a minimum amount of hassle.

If you want to insulate a single room where there are no thermal bridges, this can often be the easiest way to make that one room warm and cosy. The flip side is you can also loose space in valuable space like on a staircase or where your fitted kitchen should be. Plus you need to shift radiators, light fittings, skirting boards etc as well as redecorate any room that has an external wall, so the total project can be very expensive.

System 3 External Wall Insulation:
External Insulation this is where you wrap the entire house in an insulating blanket. It tends to be about 110 mm thick and is composed of an insulating layer and a coloured render or brick finish. It is applied from the outside so there are no problems with thermal bridges, no loss of space and no need to redecorate. By insulating the outside you make the entire house a single thermal block, like a storage heater. In this way the house stays warm in winter and cool in summer. When the external insulation is being fitted down pipes may have to be moved and window sills extended. So there can be a fair amount of work involved and this can appear to be the most expensive solution. But when the project is complete you get a completely fresh facade and the best thermal properties of the three systems.

All three systems outlines above are eligible for grants under Sustainable Energy Ireland’s Home Energy Saving Scheme.The value of the grant varies according to the system chosen.

System – Grant
Cavity – 400 euro
Internal – 2 500 euro
External – 4 000 euro

Author: Michal Studzinski

Wall Insulation is an Irish Engineering company specialising in External Wall Insulation Systems (EWIS). For more information visit us at: http://www.WallInsulation.ie

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Michal_Studzinski

large refurb project

1) As we lay the UFH I was intending to insulate below the UFH with kingspan kooltherm k3 boards to keep the UFH warmth in the room it supposed to be in and the downstairs heat (aga/radiators/w…   Read more…

mixing internal and external insulation

would the cheapest, easiest option in this room not be to get them to attach insulated plasterboard such as kingspan kooltherm k17 to the inside of the internal wall instead of whatever plaster…   Read more…

re: spackling sucks!

no, these blocks are construction/interior only. next layer is 65mm kingspan kooltherm (rc=4!), same insulation as 250mm rockwool! then 20mm air. then this. i like…   Read more…

Technorati Tags: flat

Whether it’s new construction or improving the existing insulation on a completed home, there are a lot of different types of insulation materials from which to choose. Not all insulation is created equal though and not all insulation can be used on existing completed structures. Proper insulation will lower your monthly heating costs and cooling costs, but you must know how to shop for the right material.

The most commonly used insulation has been the traditional fiberglass batting that can be found in any brick and mortar home improvement store. Some home improvement stores even carry polyiso foam board insulation. Concrete insulation is not as common or as inexpensive as other types and is used while building new construction. SIPS or structural insulated panels are a relatively new and highly effective type of insulated wall, but is only used for new construction as well. Loose fill insulation is blown into wall cavities and is commonly found in attic spaces or walls. Each of these types of insulating materials will reduce costs. You need to check the "R" factor that is listed on the insulation to determine how efficient it is. The higher the R-Factor, the more efficient the material is and the lower your monthly air conditioning bill should be.

The last two types of insulation have become quite common and beneficial, especially for use in completed existing structures. Polyurethane spray foam insulation is commonly used in walls and ceilings, and are excellent for filling in irregular wall cavities. Radiant barriers and reflective foils are used quite frequently to drastically reduce heat transfer through attics, ceilings, and floors. Radiant barriers like Temper Shield help to regulate the temperature in the living quarters during the summer months and greatly reduce the loss of heat from the interior of the home during the winter months. This translates to more even temperatures and lower utility costs throughout the year.

Only fiberglass batting, spray foam, polyiso boards, and radiant barrier films are able to be considered do-it-yourself methods of insulation. However, it is only recommended for small areas should the homeowner decide to attempt the installation themselves. For larger areas or higher volume spaces, obtaining the services of a professional installer is highly recommended to ensure proper installation. This will guarantee maximum insulation benefits and maximum savings as well as a quick and frustration-free time for the homeowner.

Having a home energy audit performed is always a good method to identify where the worst and poorly insulated areas of a home are located. Once the results are learned, then the homeowner will be in a better position to determine the best type of insulation to have installed. Once that is done, the savings on fuel and electricity for heating and cooling a home will be realized over the expense of investing in the family’s home and comfort.

Author: Daniel P Elliott

For more information and guidance about radiant barriers, thermal insulation, and Temper Shield, visit http://www.utilityimprovements.com. Utility Improvements specializes in authentic, non-imitation thermal radiant barrier protection and has some great videos on their site to illustrate the cost savings of using a thermal insulating barrier.

—

Daniel Elliott is an independent contractor who authors articles and media on a variety of topics for diverse audiences. WebDrafter.com, Inc. (http://www.webdrafter.com) produces Website design, hosting, and search engine marketing services for many of the clients, industries and markets related to the articles and media authored by Dan Elliott. If you would like Dan Elliott to ghost write or pen an article for you or your company, please contact him with your specifications.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Daniel_P_Elliott

OVAL OVERHAUL

Oval overhaul. Rigid phenolic insulation manufactured by Kingspan Insulation was chosen for … Kingspan Kooltherm K10 Soffit Board was specified and installed under the …   Read more…

Insulation when space is an issue

50mm Kingspan Kooltherm K18 Insulated dry-lining board under the rafters (inside face of the rafters) Insulated Plasterboards CAT said 100mm of Kingspan (or equivalent) between and under rafter…   Read more…

kingspan kooltherm® – kingspan bv

kingspan insulation is producent van het isolatiemateriaal van de toekomst: kingspan kooltherm®. kooltherm isolatie heeft een unieke lambdawaarde van 0021 w/mk! hiermee zijn de slankst mogelij…   Read more…

Technorati Tags: Polystyrene

As the world moves deeper into recession, people are looking for ways to cut their everyday living expenses. One of the major expenses in every household is that of energy consumption. With all the appliances and gadgets men have made, we tend to use, misuse and waste a good deal of energy. One easy way to save energy and to cut some of your bills is by keeping water hot inside the pipes for longer durations in winter. Insulating water pipes is the easiest way to achieve this cut in energy.

First of all, measure the dimensions of the water pipes you want to insulate. You should note the measurements somewhere so that you won’t forget them, especially the outer diameter associated with each pipe. Make sure that there are no leakages in the pipes. If you find any leakage point, get that fixed before continuing with the insulation.

Once you have checked all pipes and taken measurements, you need to decide which type of insulation you should use. Whatever insulation that you select, ensure you cover as much area as you can so that the heat that escapes is kept to a minimum. The most common material used in this regard is pre-formed molded insulation foam. Because of being common, you can easily get it for most sizes and lengths, and separate small pieces are available for spigots. In order to get the best installation, ensure that the inner diameter of the foam is about equal or only slightly larger than the outer diameter of the pipes. This will form a closure and so cool air will not be stuck between the pipelines and insulation.

Upon acquiring the necessary materials, use a mild cleaning agent to remove any soot from the pipes. Also make sure there isn’t any oil or other dampness on the outer surface as this hinders with the installment of insulation material. After the pipes become dry, wrap the foam around it carefully without leaving any part of the pipe uncovered. Additionally, when attaching 2 molded foams at bends, it is a good idea to sever the foam at forty-five degree angles, such that they enclose the whole bend and don’t leave any space uncovered. Once you have successfully put it on the pipes, wrap some acrylic tape around it to ensure greater efficiency. You could also try using duct tape, though some plumbing experts prefer to employ acrylic tape. You can also use a wire or clamp rather than tape.

If you are living in a place where pipe freezing occurs frequently, it’s highly recommended to insulate you water pipes even if you have to hire a plumber for this. That’s because water expands when it freezes, and this can cause even durable pipes to break. Pipes most vulnerable to breakage are those situated outside the house like the swimming pool line. In the cold months, it is beneficial to empty water from the line and turn off the valve to halt additional water flow. If you find a pipe that is frozen, do not use naked fire to try to heat it up. The best thing would be to call a licensed plumber to be on the safe side.

Author: Scott S. Rodgers

Scott Rodgers is a master plumber who has recently begun writing articles for both a plumbing and non-plumbing audience. To view more of plumbing articles, visit http://eLocalPlumbers.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Scott_S._Rodgers

december update week 37 back from holiday and raring to go, dave …

with my (and noodle’s) help at the weekend we managed to lay all the floor insulation (60mm thick kingspan kooltherm; a rigid phenolic insulation core with foil facings) on the ground floor…   Read more…

self build by micheal holmes

the blockwork walls go up with 50mm of kingspan kooltherm k8 insulation (tel: 0870 850 8555) partially filling the 100mm cavity. we chose k8 because rigid foil-faced phenolic foam gives the bes…   Read more…

J3 – J4 – J5

des panneaux de Kingspan Kooltherm K3. Panneau de sol Kooltherm K3 en mousse résolique avec un excellent rendement et un coefficient de transmission calorifique de 0021 W/mK. Source : http://w…   Read more…

Technorati Tags: xtratherm